Giants' prospect makes bail

GIANTS

Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, November 10, 2009

As rumors swirled that he paid off the family of his alleged murder victim with millions of pesos, Giants minor-leaguer Angel Villalona bailed out of jail this past week in his native Dominican Republic and became a free man - for now.

Villalona, 19 - who three years ago became the most expensive minor-leaguer ever signed by the Giants, at $2.1 million - still faces a charge that he shot a man to death in September in a wild bar fight in his hometown of La Romana, Dominican Republic. But the no-bail hold he had been under was relaxed because the family and prosecutor have not been able to pin a motive for the shooting on Villalona, Cedano said.

"Angel was just there with a friend," Cedano said. "There was no evidence that he did the shooting."

Prosecutor Jose Antonio Polanco, however, told The Chronicle the only thing that has changed in the case is that the victim's family signed a waiver saying it will not file civil charges against Villalona.

Wilmin Rodriguez (second from left) and Angel Villalona (third from left) watch the game with teammates at the dugout during the San Jose Giants and the Stockton Ports game at the San Jose Municipal Stadium in San Jose, Calif. on Sunday April 12, 2009. Final Score: San Jose Giants: 10 - Stockton Ports: 0. less

Wilmin Rodriguez (second from left) and Angel Villalona (third from left) watch the game with teammates at the dugout during the San Jose Giants and the Stockton Ports game at the San Jose Municipal Stadium in ... more

Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle

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Angel Villalona watches the game from the dugout during the San Jose Giants and the Stockton Ports game at the San Jose Municipal Stadium in San Jose, Calif. on Sunday April 12, 2009. Final Score: San Jose Giants: 10 - Stockton Ports: 0.
Ran on: 09-27-2009
Angel Villalona, 19, is charged in a fatal shooting.
Ran on: 09-27-2009
Angel Villalona, 19, is charged in a fatal shooting. less

Angel Villalona watches the game from the dugout during the San Jose Giants and the Stockton Ports game at the San Jose Municipal Stadium in San Jose, Calif. on Sunday April 12, 2009. Final Score: San Jose ... more

Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle

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Giants' prospect makes bail

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"We are continuing the prosecution," he said. "The agreement is only on civil charges, not criminal."

A source close to the case said Villalona's family paid the family of the shooting victim, 25-year-old Mario Felix de Jesus Velete, 5 million pesos, which is $138,306 in U.S. dollars.

Villalona's lawyer denied there had been a payment, and prosecutor Polanco said that if there were any monetary exchanges Villalona made with Velete's family, "that's between them." Relatives of Villalona and Velete did not return calls Monday seeking comment.

Villalona flew home to La Romana in early September to visit his mother. On Sept. 19, prosecutors say, he went to a popular disco downtown with friends, and after Velete - who was with another group - got into an argument with a friend of Villalona's, a bottle-tossing fight ensued.

As Velete tried to escape out the door, prosecutors say, Villalona shot him in the back.

Villalona's friends and family say he wasn't even inside the bar when the shooting happened. Some name another man as the shooter and say he has fled town.

The Giants have not commented on Villalona's future with the organization. In fact, their only statement on the matter was issued following his arrest: "We will monitor the situation closely and trust that the judicial process in the Dominican Republic will resolve the matter promptly and fairly."